British Teenager May Die From Drinking Too Much Coke

The 18-year-old British woman is addicted to Coca-Cola. We’re not talking the “Oh I need my Coke at 2:00 to help me get through the rest of the day fix,” either. No, we’re talking full-blown addiction.

Cross was devouring 288 ounces of Coke a day at one point. That’s the equivalent of nine Big Gulps. And that’s the equivalent of you going, “Holy cow, that’s a lot of soda!”

If the first step to conquering addiction is to admit you have a problem, though, then Cross is certainly on the right path. She said,

I admit I’m addicted to Coke — not the drug, the drink. I ended up on a saline drip for five days. The doctors said my body couldn’t cope with such a huge amount of sugar and caffeine and warned me my kidneys could shut down if I didn’t stop.”

Cross’ problems began when she was 14. Before you can say, “Why would I ever consider a glass of water?,” she was guzzling 24 cans a day.

It really turned into a medical nightmare, though, when she got a job at Subway and was permitted to drink as much soda as her heart desired. We don’t know if she ate any turkey clubs to go along with her beverage of choice, but she did drink so much that she became dehydrated, passed out and had to be rushed to a hospital, where she had the misfortune of developing E. coli. Doctors claim that happened because she drinks Coke from cans that haven’t been cleaned.

Cross, who stands a mere five-foot-four and weighs 168 pounds, suffered another setback last week when she passed out again. She’s now battling cramps, as well as issues with her ankle and spine. Doctors have warned her that her addiction could one day kill her.

Cross said,”Coming off Coke has been hard because I get terrible headaches when I don’t drink it. But I’m hoping I’ll pull through.”

Coca-Cola, meanwhile, seems to be distancing itself from the whole matter, saying, “All of our drinks can be consumed in moderation as part of a healthy diet.”